“The CreateLouisiana initiative has proved to me that we have an amazing local talent pool,” Scott Niemeyer, CEO and developer of Deep South Studios and co-founder of Create Louisiana, said at the announcement. “No losers here tonight, all winners.”

“I can’t believe it,” writer-director Jefferson said. “Financing is one of the biggest hurdles that you have as a filmmaker, so this is an incredible gift. Fifty thousand dollars for a short film is more than enough to make the film we want to make.”

“Everything I couldn’t fit into ‘Vanishing Pearls’ I put into this film,” she said.

Production for “Plaquemines” will start in March, Wood said.

“We’re just about ready to go, but we can’t start shooting until March because the story takes place during the summertime,” he said.

In the meantime, Jefferson and Wood will work on pre-production and their social media campaign. They’re expected to complete “Plaquemines” within 12 months of receiving the award.

The finished film will be screened at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival.

CreateLouisiana — led by Niemeyer and Sian McArthur, of Deep South Studios and a co-founder of Create Louisiana — is designed to encourage indigenous Louisiana talent and support the region’s creative industries.